New Beginnings
by Dr.Pepper966
Summary: One dark, cold, rainy night...Two broken kids find each other. Two broken kids who were meant to find each other have their life changed forever. But for better or for worse?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! I have no idea where this came from. I was just watching Shrek 2 and it came to me, I swear! I have the movie for proof. Anyways, So yeah…Just trying it out.  
Clare-12  
Eli-13**

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****The rain hit the concert hard, sending little raindrops in different directions. The thunder echoed throughout the quiet town, slightly shaking cars and houses nearby; the lightning lighting up the night with rays of electricity. With the tremendously cold weather in Toronto, it would be mad for anyone to go out for a stroll or to even step out of the comfort of their home.  
Down a dark alley sat a shacking boy, his hair completely soaked and his lips turning a slight color of blue. His soaked clothes added more weight to his body, weakening him even more. He laid his body against the brick wall, bringing his legs close to his chest. There was absolutely no warmth, nothing to keep him from dying of coldness but he didn't care. No, not anymore. He let the coldness eat him away slowly; engulfing the pain in which would be the last thing he would ever feel.  
Blood trickled down his forehead and mixed with the rain. He took in a deep breath, and threw his head back, making it hit hard against the wall. It wasn't easy to tell but tears trailed down his cheeks. His grip around his legs tightened, smashing them harder into his chest.

xxx

Her numb legs continued to run and run, not giving in into the coldness. She wasn't going to let it stop her, she needed to get home or there would be consequences. Her curls stuck to her face, blocking her vision from time to time. Her shoes made a squishy noise as she ran and her clothes clung to her body, making her shiver even more. She couldn't handle her parents fighting any longer; she couldn't handle the constant screaming and arguments so she decided to leave for a while. The park was the first place that popped in her mind and with that, she set her destination. She crawled out of her window and spent most of her day at the park, playing with some of the children and exploring every little detail of her only escape.  
As she turned a corner, her pace slowed down for an odd reason. She picked her pace back up but stopped in her track when she saw someone down in a dark alley.

'_Not everyone is a nice person, Clare. So you need to stay away from strangers if you're on your own, just make a run for it and don't look back.'_

Her mother's voice rang in her ears; her brain told her to run, to get back inside her home and crawl into her bed but something kept her legs from moving. With the rain blocking her vision, it was hard to tell if it was actually a person. It was a small person that was for a fact. Clare squinted her eyes at the mysterious person, thinking what on earth s/he was doing out in the horrible weather. Without a second thought, she pushed her body towards the person. As she neared, the image cleared up more. It was a boy, his eyes were closed and he had a cut lip, with a trail of red liquid running down his forehead. He looked around her age. She bent down to his level and poked him. When no movement was made she shoved him lightly.  
"Hey…Wake up."  
Still, there was no movement and this sent Clare's heart racing in a panic state. She shoved him harder, this time making his body come in contact with the floor. She gasped and struggled to sit him back up without causing any damage.  
"Hey! Wake up!" Clare said louder. She learned in health to always check if a conscious person had a pulse and she did just that. She pressed two fingers against his wrist and applied pressure. The warmth of the blood ran under her fingers and a slight thumping could be felt. She let out a sigh of relief but to make sure, she pressed her ear against his chest, quivering at the cold water. Sure enough, his heart beat could be heard but it was faint. Clare bit her lip and pondered on how she would carry this boy, she most definitely could not leave him in the cold so she had to do something. With already numb legs and arms, she wrapped an arm around his waist and with all her strength; she brought him up to his feet. He was definitely taller than her because his head rested on top of hers and his body leaned against hers, making Clare stumble from side to side to regain he balance.  
Just as she walked out of the alley, a car came speeding by, making a formed puddle splash all over the two kids.  
"Jerk." Clare muttered under her breath, a white swirl of air escaping her lips. She continued to walk around the deserted city, in desperate hope to find her house in time.  
After what seemed like hours, Clare walked up her familiar drive way, her legs almost giving in. She was surprised to make it all the way from the park to her home while carrying extra weight from a boy she didn't even know. Her father's car was gone and she could see her mother through the window in the living room, watching TV while drinking a glass of alcohol. Clare frowned at the sight but she removed her eyes away from the window. The front door was out of the question already and the back door most certainly won't work. Her window was still slight open but it would be difficult to climb up the ladder with an unconscious person.  
Yet there was no other way, so she went along with the plan. She turned the boy around and threw him over her shoulder. She stumbled backwards, falling into the side of the house. Knowing her mother, she would have gone out to see what the noise was but at that instant, thunder struck and Clare knew that blocked out the noise. She took another attempt and threw the boy over her shoulder, this time only having her legs shake from the weight. One hand held onto the boy's back as the other gripped onto the bar and pushed her legs up the steps, slowly.  
The journey up the ladder was long and agonizing but had managed to make it onto the roof and through her window. Her body had finally had enough and fell to the ground. The carpet was warm; it brought a pleasure to Clare. As if running in a marathon, she gasped for air and shivered uncontrollably. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy, his body lying lifelessly on the floor next to her. She pushed herself up on her knees and grabbed a hold under his arms, leaning him against her bed. With the little strength she had, she got crawled to her closet and took out a towel. She wrapped it around the boy and tip-toed into her parent's room, taking out an old shirt and pj pants from her dad.  
Before stepping out, it struck her. His underwear. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed madly. She most definitely didn't want to do anything with that but he would get sick if left in something wet. She pulled on her wet hair, groaning. Pulling out a pair of boxers from the drawer, she descended from their room and into hers.  
Clare took a deep breath before taking off his shirt, exposing his bare chest. She looked away, her face turning redder every second. She proceeded by drying him with the towel and putting the dry shirt on him. Then came the part she was not looking forward to. Clare pulled down his black skinny jeans and closed her eyes tightly as her finger touched the fabric of his boxers. Without opening her eyes, she had managed to pull the wet ones off and the dry ones on. Lastly, putting on a pair of pjs. She pulled him up onto her bed, wrapped him from head to toe in a blanket, and under the bed spread.  
Clare longed for the feeling of hot water hitting her skin. She grabbed a towel, her pajamas, and walked out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.  
"Mom?" She called out to her mother but got no response. "I'm…going to take a shower." Still no response. Tears threatened to spill from her eyelids but she pushed them back. She turned on the shower and was greeted with the steaming heat she had been waiting for all day.

xxx

By the time Clare was done showering, the house was completely dark, not a single noise made and not a single sight of light. She tip-toed into her room and closed the door behind her, glancing at the boy in her bed. Once again, she placed two fingers on his wrist, feeling the warm circulation of blood again. A smile tugged at her lips. She certainly wasn't going to sleep in her bed, considering a _boy_ was sleeping in it so she placed a blanket on the floor and wrapped herself in it. The only light in her room came from the window, where the moon hung high, exposing its beauty. The rain had stopped, which Clare thanked god for. She was never fond of thunderstorms, they scared her.  
Her eyes grew heavier every passing minute, and soon enough her eyes gave in-falling into a deep sleep.

xxx

The next morning, the boy rolled around in the bed. He expected to wake up in the afterlife or just a soul on earth but instead, he found himself in small room. Walls painted blue, white ceiling, and he wrapped up in blankets…in a bed. This was nothing close to the surroundings at his home and this worried him. He realized his once wet clothes were replaced with over-sized clothes. He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. He slowly sat up, immediately getting a pounding headache. A groan escaped his lips as he lay back down, wanting nothing more to go back to sleep and wake up where he should be at.  
A shifting sound was heard beside the bed and the boy, with much curiosity, leaned over and spotted a girl. His eyes widened in shock and more confusion. The girl too starred at him-wide eyed- as if she had never seen him before, when in reality, she spent the night helping the boy into safety.

At the same time, they both spoke.

"Hey?"

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**I wouldn't mind a couple reviews :)  
Should I continue? Leave it in your comment. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh…My…God. I am **_**exhausted. **_**Finals are just tiring me out. Soo much. Anyways! Thanks for the reviews/alerts/favorites :) I really appreciate it!**

**New Beginnings- Chapter 2**

"Hey?" Elijah Goldsworthy stared into the ocean, blue eyes of a small curly, auburn, haired girl. As to did Clare, she stared into the green eyes of the raven haired boy. They sat there, shocked and confused until Clare cleared her throat, standing up quickly.

"Um, M-My name is Clare." She placed her hand out for a simple hand shack but Eli stared at it as if something foreign to him. Eli was still unaware of his location and it scared him a little.

"Where…Am I?" Clare's eyes widened. She scratched the back of her neck ", my house."  
It was barely a whisper but Eli heard it clearly. "Why?" Clare's face reddened. She was not in her right frame of mind last night and once she thought about it, this is the creepiest, strangest thing she- probably anyone- can ever do. She looked away.

"Well…It was rainy and cold last night…and I found you in a dark alley, unconscious."  
Eli scrunched his eye brows together as the memories came back to him.

"_D-Dad, I'm sorry!" Eli recoiled, his back coming in contact with the wall. His father, Bullfrog, stomped around the kitchen.  
"You worthless, good for nothing asshole. Look at this mess!" He pointed angrily at the piles of broken plates and cups scattered around the floor. Bullfrog kicked the pieces around and sent a glare towards his son.  
He straightened his back and walked over to Eli, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Those cost _money._ Money! I spend most of my time working my ass off for this goddamn family! Or should I say us?"  
Eli's lip quivered, it wasn't the first time Bullfrog got mad, but when he did- especially at him- it would turn into beatings. If it weren't for his mother's passing, Bullfrog would have never turned out like this. They would have had a happy family, just like before, and Eli dearly missed that.  
"I-I'm sorry." Bullfrog scoffed and threw Eli against the wall, hard. Then throwing him on the shreds of glass. Eli cried out in pain as pieces of glass stabbed into his skin. Bullfrog laughed at his pain, grabbed a bottle of wine, and hovered over Eli. He squirmed on the floor, knowing exactly what was to come next. Bullfrog brought his leg back and kicked him hard in the stomach.  
"Clean this shit up." With that, Bullfrog walked up the stairs and slamming the bedroom door hard, making the house shack a little.  
Tears ran down Eli's face, along with a hint of blood from the cut the glass gave him. With shaky legs, Eli stood up and ran out the door, into the dark, cold night. _

"Oh…" Was all Eli could say. A tear threatened to fall but he held it back, taking in a deep breath and falling back against the bed.  
"What were you doing there?" Eli winced at the girl's voice. _'No one can know. No one.' _Eli thought.  
"I just needed to clear my head." It sounded more like a question than a statement.  
Clare crooked her head to the side, "On a rainy, cold night? Most people wouldn't go out in that type of weather."

"I should be asking you the same." There was a thick silence. Clare fiddled with her fingers while Eli starred at the ceiling- until a thought occurred to him.

"I would expect a normal person to take an unconscious person to the _hospital_ and not their house." Clare's face reddened once again as she tried to find a way to answer him without making it sound somewhat creepy.

"Well…You see, if I tried to take you there I wouldn't have made it since I, too, was outside in the rain and was shaking badly. And I couldn't tell my mom…because of certain reasons. But I also couldn't leave an unconscious boy out in the rain, I had to do something."

Eli nodded, still a bit confused. He shifted in his clothes- well clothes- and began to wonder why he was in such big clothes.

"What happened to my clothes?" Clare bit her lip, this was something she did not want to discuss, at all. Yet she knew it would come up some time and that time happened to be at that very moment.  
Clare chuckled, one of those embarrassed chuckles. "If I left you in wet clothes you would have gotten sick." Eli also noticed the over-sized boxers and he turned red, as so did Clare.  
"My boxers…"

Clare wouldn't have been able to talk about that without completely embarrassing herself and so she quickly walked over to the door. "Want breakfast? You must be starving."

Eli smirked, but he quickly swept it off it off. "That's not necessary."  
Clare shook her head, "I insist. What do you want for breakfast?" Eli knew this girl wasn't going to give up and he didn't feel like arguing with someone he didn't even know, so he agreed. "Cereal will be fine."  
"What kind of cereal?"  
"Lucky Charms." Clare giggled, "That's my favorite." She walked down the steps and into the kitchen, where she prepared his cereal.

Eli, on the other hand, looked around the room, fear still circulating in him. A headache began to form and he groaned, sinking deeper into the bed. Even with the fear, he found relief in this unknown place. He was glad he didn't have to face another night with his father after what had happened. Usually, Bullfrog would go out in a frantic, furious state to find Eli- it wasn't the first time Eli ran away like that. But it was the first time he greeted death.

His thoughts wandered back to the girl.

'_She doesn't even know me and yet, she took me in.' _Eli was still shocked at this. He was to thank her later.  
Clare poked her head in her room, and watched the boy ponder. She had to hold back her laughter at the sight of a small boy in over-sized clothes. She balanced the bowl of cereal and the aspirin in her hands as she took a spot next to the bed.  
"Your cereal and an aspirin. For your headache."

"How did you…?" Clare didn't give him a chance to finish, already knowing what he was going to say.  
"The way you were groaning sort of made it obvious." Again, Eli held back a smirk.

"Your clothes are in the dryer so you'll be back in them in no time." Eli nodded as he took a spoonful of Lucky Charms into his mouth, devouring it.

"Where are your parents?" Eli spoke after a couple minutes of silence.

"I'm not sure about my dad but my mom is most likely at work."

"What happens when she comes home?" Clare shrugged. "Don't worry, I'll be out of here before she comes back."

A sad smile plastered on Clare's face. "You can stay as long as you like. I know I don't know you but I wouldn't mind, unless you really want to leave. But other than that, you're welcomed here."  
Eli smiled, "Thanks; My names Eli by the way."

Clare smiled, "So what happened?" She gestured to her lip and head and Eli immediately knew what she meant.

"I fell." He lied. Clare hesitated at his answer, it didn't seem that way since he had little cuts around his face and some on his arms. But to keep the boy calm, Clare pressed her lips together and nodded.

There was a buzzing sound and Clare jumped up and ran to the door. "That's your clothes, I'll go get them." Without listening/looking at Eli's response, Clare was down the stairs and into the basement.  
She wrapped her arms around the clothes, loving the heat from it but making sure to not wrinkle them in any way.

"And your clothes…" Clare said while placing them on her bed. "I'll give you some privacy to change." She turned on her heel, closing the door behind her. Eli placed the bowl on the desk and crawled over to his clothes, wincing at the side pain he still had. He stripped out of the clothes and jumped into his.

xxx

Clare sat on the couch, hands placed on her laps as she waited for Eli to finish changing. Eli was far from done- for he was a fast changer-instead he was walking around the girl's room, looking at her items. Although no one liked someone snooping around in their room, Eli's curiosity got to him. The girl was different in his opinion, and he had an urge to know more.

What caught his eyes were a CD in the pile of papers and other CD's. _Dead Hand_ it read. Eli smirked at this, not one girl he has ever known liked Dead Hand but only that girly voiced, Justin Bieber.

He planned to look around more but he didn't want Clare to start to wonder what he was doing and find him snooping around her room so he gathered himself up and walked down the stairs, where he found her sitting patiently on the couch.  
"All Done." Clare looked in his direction and giggled, this made Eli raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I would expect a _girl_ to take that long to change but not a boy." Eli had kept track with how long he had been in her room and noticed it could had been a long time. He laughed, it was the first laugh he had in a long time and when he noticed this he stopped and cleared his throat.

"So…"

"Want to go to the park? Mr. Jackson gives out free ice cream on Sundays to anyone who gets there before 1. And right now," She paused to look at her blue wrist watch, "12:00."

"Who's Mr. Jackson?"

"The Ice-cream man!" Clare said cheerfully.

"Free Ice cream? Sounds good." Eli said. Clare smiled, ran into the kitchen to grab a pair of keys to the house, and lightly pushed Eli out the door.  
"Eager, I see."

"Well, who doesn't want _free_ ice-cream?" Eli chuckled; he barely knew the girl and she already had a positive effect on him. Although he kept to himself, not wanting to get attach to her. Just in case she plans on leaving, which Eli wouldn't be able to handle if he got attached to someone again. He decided to take advantage of this time.

"Wanna race?" At those words, Clare's face lit up; she nodded eagerly.

Eli began to count down. "On 3. 1…2…" Before he could finish, Clare screamed out 3 and took off running. A devious smile tugged at his lips as he began to sprint after her. By the time he caught up to her they were already at the park. Clare slowed her pace and skipped over to, who Eli supposed, Mr. Jackson.

"Eli, what do you want?"

"Um…Vanilla."

Clare turned back around to Mr. Jackson. "Clarebear! Nice to see you again." He said with a wide, warm smile. Something about him made Eli uneasy.

"One vanilla and one strawberry, please." Clare said excitedly.  
"Coming right up." He scooped up vanilla and strawberry into two small cones and handed it to Clare, who then handed the vanilla cone to Eli.

"Thanks."

"No problem." They licked at their ice-creams and took a seat on the swings. They enjoyed their ice-creams and talked a little about this and that. After a good 30 minutes, Eli spotted a black car at the curb. A black car that was all too familiar to Eli. His breathing became shaky.

"Um, Clare. I have to go. B-But I'll see you around."

Clare jumped off the swing and watched Eli walking away. "Wait, What? Where are you going?"

"I'll see you later." Was all he said before approaching the black car. There was no use in running, he saw Eli and it would be easy for him to track him down.

The dark window rolled down and the smell of alcohol escaped the car. Eli cringed at the smell.  
"Get in the car, son." Bullfrog's voice was husky. Eli sighed and obeyed, getting in the back of the car. As the car pulled away, he watched Clare, who had a confused and worried look, until her figure disappeared from his sight. He slouched in his seat, gripping at the fabric, his heart racing at what would happen to him.

**So. Yeah. Chapter 2. Any reviews? I'd like that. :D Excuse any grammar mistakes or just any mistakes. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Oooo: Thanks for the reviews, guys! And the favorites/alerts. I really appreciate it!  
Yes, I know. We all don't like an abusive Bullfrog. Hell, I don't even like it that much but this is fiction! Shit happens xD  
I'd like to apologize for the long wait. Very, Very, Very sorry. I've had a lot of projects to work on and new concepts to learn for MORE upcoming tests [ugh]. Seriously, I have 12 more days of school…Must they torture me anymore?  
**

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**New Beginnings- Chapter 3**

Eli lay on the floor, starring at the door, with his hand upon his cheek- which throbbed with pain. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he struggled to stand back up. He settled him down on his bed, still starring at the door. Chains circled around it, along with a big lock.

It wasn't the first time his father locked him up in his room but it was the first time his father used chains. Eli winced at the pain, emotionally and physically, as he lay back on his bed and began to think what his life has become. At moments like this, he missed his mother dearly. Her hugs were full of love and she could always brighten up a room the minute she walked in. Cece's bright green eyes were always full of spirit that can lift your mood the second you looked into them. Eli longed for the sound of his mother's voice, the comforting voice that could always calm him down.

He cried more into his pillow. Once they had gotten home, Bullfrog bragged him into the house, throwing items at Eli and cursing. He threw Eli against the walls and finally pushed him into his room, giving him a punch in the face and proceeded on chaining up the door, so Eli wouldn't attempt to run away again. Waking up to find Eli gone and the glass still on the floor angered Bullfrog, sending him off to find Eli in the dark city.

Eli's thoughts jumped from CeCe to Clare. He was afraid to see her again, he was afraid he would break down and tell Clare everything that had been happening. He couldn't do it, he couldn't tell anyone because he would get deadly consequences from his father.

Darkness consumed his room as time ticked away. He still lay in the same position as before- hand on cheek, lying on his side on the bed, and his eyes making no movement. He starred at the window intensely, considering jumping out of the window and running away again but he stopped his self from doing so.

'_There's no point. He would find me either way.' _Eli thought.

He stirred on his bed, hunger settling in his stomach. They never really had any food in refrigerator which is one reason he was so skinny but he would sometimes do chores for some neighbors and use the money given to him to buy something small at any nearby stores. Although, it was hard earning the money, considering the people didn't exactly trust him- mostly because of the fact of his black clothing and rebellious appearance. Yet, they've grown to trust him over the years, knowing he was a trustworthy and loyal kid.

Eli now faced the wall next to his bed, staring blankly at it. He could not contain the anger and sadness circulating in him, so with his all the strength he had left, he pushed himself up with his elbows. As if climbing the tallest hill, he breathed in air heavily. His sniffles could be throughout the house if he wouldn't have had to keep himself as quiet as possible. Letting himself fall gently to the ground, he scooted up between his bed and desk. Pulling his knees close to his chest, he dug his hand into his mattress and pulled out a razor- one he had not used in many, many weeks. Although the scars on his arms were a bit visible, they did not have the red streak after cutting. They were mostly faint, yet if you looked closely you would be able to see them.

Eli, still crying, brought the razor to his arm, quickly pulling it across his skin and then doing it again slowly- feeling the familiar feeling of guilt and control.

xxx

Clare sat upon and dangled her feet over the fence on the porch. Behind her, lay a house deadly silent. Not a single noise was made except for the whistling from Clare, in which she used to occupy herself. It was already dawn, and she had been out since 12. Her stomach grumbled with hunger and her head pounded from the lack or rest. She wanted to lie down in her bed and fall asleep in a day long nap, not being interrupted once but she knew that wouldn't happen.

Clare's heart crumbled a little more knowing not a single person in the world really cared for her. Not her mother, not her father, not Darcy-whom she had not seen in 5 years, and had no connection with Clare in any way- and she already knew Eli possibly didn't care about her either.

The sun continued to settle behind the houses before her and soon there was only a thin strip of sunlight, just gazing over a hill far off in the north. After 5 minutes, darkness coated the sky and ground and brought out the scary looking shadows. Clare began shivering, the coldness settling in and raising goosebumps up and down her arms. She had no jacket to wrap herself with so instead she used her bare arms- which weren't any help.

After 30 minutes of walking back and forth and sitting back down on the fence, Clare was finally fed up with waiting. She already knew it would have ended up like this but there just a little piece- very little- that led her to believe that somehow, possibly, maybe her mother would come home early and for once, talk to her. A simple 'Hi' would have made Clare's day.

Clare jumped down the steps and too a sharp turn that led into the forest beside her house. She never liked walking into the woods alone, let alone at _night._ When evil creature lurked the night in sight for their prey but she had no other resort, at least that's what she thought. Branches crunched under her feet, leave crumbled into little piece, and little critters scurried away as they head her coming their way. Birds would squawk at her, making her jump slightly.

"Stupid birds…" She said under her breath. As if understanding her words, the birds squawked more at her and flew away. As she proceeded through the dark forest, branches tugged at her hair, making her squeak in pain from time to time.

Getting frustrated, Clare stopped in her tracks, looking for her old tree house. One that she had not been at for years, for her life began to fall apart years ago and saw no need to come back when she had no one to accompany her. Although, she did not mind going to her beloved tree house alone but since she was at a young age, it frightened her to come out in a big, dark forest like this. Clare circled around and finally set her eyes on an old, wooden tree house- hidden behind many, many branches. She scattered on her feet to reach the trunk of the tree as fast as possible. She jumped as high as she could and grabbed a hold of a rope ladder, which was connected to the tree house; let out a sigh of relief when she made it inside. Inside, toys and pictures stood on little shelves and hung from the wall. Boxes of jewelry and bottles with dead roses were also scattered around the tree house. All the memories came rushing to Clare, she squeezed her eyes shut and proceeded to look around.

She found a blanket balled up in a corner. Although it was dusty- from the many years of being unused- Clare had no choice but to wrap it around her body and lay on the wooden floor, which stood high above the ground. She felt it was the only place she could go to, she had no friends, and parents that didn't care about her. If she did have any friends, she would have gone to their house instead of the middle of the forest but Clare found it better than sleeping on the ground or being outside when her mom came back drunk.

The only thing brightening up the small tree house was the moon's moon light. Clare looked up into the sky, starring at the sky and began praying. Pray for a better life and for things to get better. With that, she went to sleep, thinking of what her life has become.

Xxx

The next morning, Eli woke in an uncomfortable position. Somehow he had managed to be in between the bed and desk entirely- his legs against the desk, with his knees close to his chest, and his back against the bed. It was a small space, not meant for someone to be in for a whole night. As Eli struggled to wiggle out of the space, his legs cracked when they were extended and so did his back and he got up.

It brought a major relief to his body but it still ached.

'_That was a horrible idea.'_ As he brought his arms to scratch his head, he noticed the newly formed cuts on his arm. He frowned at them. It was always the same cycle for him. He would get mad or sad, then he would cut, and some of the pain would be gone. But in the morning, he would regret it. It was the only thing he could control, the only pain _he, _alone, could control. Even with the awful after affects, Eli found himself crawling back to his little friend, whom ended pain for him-emotionally-for a while.

Dead blood stuck to his skin, leaving a not so welcoming sight and feeling. He turned on his heel to wash it up but came face to face with a chained door. Eli's breathe hitched in his throat as the memories came flooding back.

"_Ungrateful son of mine. This should teach you to not to try to run away again!" Bullfrog kicked Eli on the sides repeatedly and pushed him farther against a wall- like a piece of trash. Eli groaned in pain, his eye vision blurry and sweat trickling down his forehead. He could see bits of what Bullfrog was doing, the clattering of chains and the clicking of locks was heard around the room but it seemed distant to Eli. Bullfrog would yell things but it was faint and mumbled to Eli, when in reality, Bullfrog was screaming louder than ever._

"_You're not getting away from me this time. Not now, not ever. You're stuck here." With that said, Bullfrog slammed the door shut and locked the remaining lock. For good. _

Eli glared out of the window; his mind urged him to run but his body was glued to the floor. A frown fell upon his face, giving off a very depressing aura. His hands balled into fists, and without thinking, he grabbed the nearest object and threw it at the window- making it shatter into pieces.

Even with the sharp pieces of glass attached to the window, Eli slid through, dropping onto the driveway, knocking over a couple of trashcans.

"What the hell is going on!" Bullfrog's husky voice echoed in Eli's ears, fear circulating in his body.

'_Did I really just do that?' _Eli questioned himself but he had no time to answer, Bullfrog had already spotted Eli and was running over to him. "God damn it, You're going to wish you never did that!" With legs still numb from the fall, Eli pushed his body up and ran around the yard before darting into the forest- in which surrounded most of the area.

Eli breathed heavily. He could hear bullfrogs cursing and heavy footsteps but that only made Eli run faster. Being the drunken dad bullfrog is, Eli expected him to give up and let him run off to god knows where but that wasn't the case here, Bullfrog continued to chase after Eli in the dark forest, even if the sun was out it was still a bit dark. He took a turn here and there, and a couple more around thick tree trunks.

Like a play, birds watched from above and squawked at the two who decided to interrupt their home. Although they did nothing but sit upon the branches they marked as their territory and watch the two run around their forest. Setting behind a huge trunk, Eli cupped his mouth and slid down, his body quivering. It reminded him of a horror movie, where there's a killer out in the woods and the victim is hiding behind a tree, praying with all their might that the killer would pass them and have a chance to escape.

In an evil voice, Bullfrog called out, "Come out, come out, where ever you are! You **can't **hide from me, Eli! I'll find you! And boy, will you regret it." Eli squeezed his eyes shut and kept quiet; he could tell Bullfrog took another swing at his beer. Bullfrog never went anywhere without his beer, ever.

Eli could hear his footsteps nearing. He cupped his mouth harder and breathed in dangerously slowly. Everything got silent, too silent in Eli's opinion and it reminded him of the horror movies again. Everything would seem safe for a moment, and you crawl at to check and you think the cost is clear. When in reality, the killer is lurking around, watching you fall into his trap. And when you least expect it, he would jump out and murder you. Eli watched too many horror movies to risk doing something so reckless.

Just how Eli suspected, Bullfrog jumped out and grabbed Eli by the neck, pulling him up against the tree and tightening his grip around Eli's neck.

"You think you're so clever, don't'cha?" He slurred; the smell of alcohol hit Eli's face, making him scrunch his face up in disgust.

This made Bullfrog throw Eli against the tree, hard. He opened his mouth but nothing came out, his air was being cut off and he couldn't speak a word, let alone squeak a sound.

"You _really _shouldn't have done that." But before Bullfrog could do anything, Eli-with all the energy he had left-kicked his father in the crotch, and did all he could do when he fell to the ground, run.

"God damn it, Eli! I'll** kill **you if I get my hands on you!" His voice echoed throughout the forest.

'_Kill? He'll kill me?' _Bullfrog had always threatened him but not with something like that and somewhere inside him, something broke into more pieces- his heart perhaps. No more than 5 minutes later, Eli came upon a tree house. It was well hidden behind big leaves and branches so Eli took this opportunity to hide in it until the coast was clear. Halfway up the tree, bullfrog's threats could be heard again, getting clearer and clearer by ever second, indicating that he was nearing.

After opening the door on the bottom of the tree house and pulling in the ladder, he laid back against the wall, taking a deep breath. It was only after a few seconds that he realized a girl starring back and forth from the window in front of her and the boy in her tree house.

"Clare…?"

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**Yup. Well. There it , I'm soooo sorry I took so long to update. It's almost the end of the school year though! Two more weeks! Then I'll definitely be updating more. On this and the other stories. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU WITH ALL MY NUTELLA HEART for the reviews, favorites/alerts. **

**:) Reviews? **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! I'm back! I apologize to keep yall waiting for a long time. Before I say to go on and read, I forgot to mention that I had changed Eli's and Clare's age. Clare now being 13 and Eli being 14, that is all. Enjoy :3**

**New Beginnings- Chapter 4**

"Clare? What are you doing here?" Eli panicked, hoping that Clare had not seen the scene that had just unfolded. When Clare did not answer, it sent Eli's heart beating fast. He wouldn't be able to handle it if she found out about his living situation. Eli already felt a slight connection of friendship to this girl, who he only just met yesterday. He didn't want to lose that.

As for Clare, she did not see everything that had happened but she did see enough to be concerned. She considered Eli her friend, her only friend, and she'd hate to see anything bad happen to him. Although she had only just started seeing who he is yesterday, she felt as if she had known him for years. The yelling…the screaming…the fighting…what she had just seen, it was all too familiar to her. Eli starred at her with such fright, that it even frightened her. Before she could answer him, yelling was heard outside of the tree house.

Clare was going to look out the window, but she suddenly felt a pair of hand grab her- one over her mouth and the other on her arm. Eli brought her close to him in the corner, in hopes she would get the memo and keep quiet until the mysterious man, to Clare, passed. She squirmed around but settled down and silently sat there. After a minute or two of hearing Bullfrog's screams and cursing, his voice faded. Eli guessed he had finally given up and walked home.

"Um…Eli?" He jumped out of his thoughts and looked down at Clare, who pointed at her arm. He had a death grip on her, his nails practically digging into her skin. Eli quickly let go.

"Sorry…" Clare nodded and crawled back to the window, poking her head out. "I think he's gone." She looked back at Eli, "Who is he, Eli?"

Instead of answering her question, Eli asked Clare a question, "What are you doing here?" Clare pressed her lips together, but got the hint that Eli did not want to talk about it so she did not push it.

"Well, I mean, this is my tree house. I think I have a right to be in it." Eli smirked at her. He pushed himself up to his feet and walked around the tiny tree house, looking at every little material stacked on the shelves.

"Who built it?" Eli asked and just when he said, he could have sworn he saw Clare flinch in the corner of his eye.

"My dad and I built it three years ago." Eli nodded and trailed his fingers over the wood, amazed how perfectly structured it was. His eyes landed on an old picture frame.

"Is this your family?" Eli asked Clare. She looked shocked at first but nodded. She could remember that day as if it was just yesterday.

"_Clare! Hurry up! I don't have all day, you know." Darcy called out to her. _

_Clare crossed her arms in stubbornness. She hated taking pictures and she most definitely did not want to take a picture. She had been dreading this day ever since their parents had told her about it. _

"_All you ever do is make-out with your boyfriend." Clare shot back and Darcy glared at her. Randall and Helen laughed at their daughters but knowing the photographer won't be staying for long, Helen became serious. _

"_Girls! Can we please just take this picture?" Clare and Darcy broke from their argument and looked at their mother with a dumbfounded look. _

_Clare looked down and crossed her arms over her chest again. "I hate taking pictures…" She mumbled. _

"_Please, Clare. It will only take a minute." Helen gave Clare a heartwarming smile. Knowing Clare wasn't going to budge so easily, Randall piped up. _

"_We can go for Ice Cream after this and you can get your favorite, Clare. Mint chocolate chip ice cream." _

_Clare grinned. "Deal." _

_She jumped in between Darcy and Randall- Darcy putting her arm around her shoulders and Randall putting his hand on her back. _

"_Say Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, everyone." The photographer grinned while preparing to take the picture. _

"_Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!" _

Clare squeezed her eyes shot as her flashback ended. Her heart ached a bit. She went back to watching Eli analyze the photo, which she didn't dare look at without bursting into tears.

He could recognize Clare instantly. She was much younger and had long hair. Beside her, with an arm around her shoulders, stood a not too much older girl with brown hair and chocolate eyes, which Eli assumed was Clare's sister. On Clare's other side stood a mid-aged woman, who he assumed was her mother, and I man on the other girl's side, who he also assumed was her father.

"You have a nice family." Eli said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Y-yeah." Clare stuttered, looking down at her nails and began picking at her nail polish. Eli took note of her sudden change in mood.

"What's wrong?" Clare's head shot up so quickly it surprised Eli it didn't fall off. Her eyes were wide, with much sadness but Eli didn't point it out.

"Nothing." Not wanting Eli to know, Clare forced a smile but he could already tell she was lying. Seeing she was uncomfortable, he did not push her any further but did plan to discuss it with her later.

"So…What's with all these weird things?" He said while placing a power ranger action figure back where it previously was.

Clare giggled, "I actually don't know. I just brought whatever I could here when I was younger."

"Well…You have a nice collection." He said while picking up another strange object of the many toys and jewelry on the shelves.

There was a moment of silence. Clare took the time to look at Eli better while he continued looking at her things.

He was very thin, much like her, but much more, to the point where it seemed that if you touched him, he would fall apart. He still had the cut on his lip from the night Clare found her. There was a bruise forming on his left cheek; an inquisitive Clare pondered on how he probably got it.

Clare continued to examine him. Black skinny jeans, a black shirt with stripped sleeves, and worn out converse. His appearance made him all more of a mysterious person. Jet black hair, piercing green eyes, and the breath-taking smirk; it just made her want to find out more about her.

"Do you want to leave?" Clare asked. Eli walked over to the window, poked his head out, and stood there for a minute. Clare crunched her eye brows together in confusion.

"Is something wrong?" Eli quickly looked back at Clare. "N-no, just enduring the beautiful day."

Clare raised an eyebrow and stared at Eli, not believing what he said but letting it slide. "But sure, let's go."

Once Eli and Clare were safely on the ground, with the rope hidden up on a branch, they departed back through the woods. In order to keep Clare from getting any more suspicious, he walked ahead, but that didn't mean he didn't have his ears open for any alarming noises and his eyes covering every inch of the forest. He made sure to not step on any branches and avoid the leaves as much as possible, which was frankly hard since they were scattered all over the ground.

They exchanged small talk but nothing more as a real conversation. Before stepping out, Eli looked out in front of him for any sign of his father. And when none was present, he stepped out into the sunlight, greeted by rows of houses.

"We're on the other side of the neighborhood."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Eli rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's okay. My house isn't too far from here. Are you going home?"

Eli looked at her wide-eyed. "Yeah," He paused, putting a fake smile on, "I am."

"It was nice spending the morning with you, Eli. I'll see you around?" Clare asked.

"I guess you will." Eli said, with a smirk, not entirely fake.

With that, Clare turned on her heel and jogged around a corner. When she was completely out of sight, Eli dropped his smile and started walking the other direction. The direction that didn't lead back home.

xxx

Clare stood behind a tree, watching the dark house in front of her. Even with the bright sun out, the house managed to have this type of dark aura. The wind picked up and made Clare's curls ruffle around her.

Her mother's car was in the driveway, and this scared her the most. She didn't know what her mother's reaction would be. Would she get mad? Did she even realize Clare was gone all night? Questions ran in Clare's mind, not so sure what to expect.

She made a quick run to the side of her house, expecting the ladder to be where it always has been for years. Instead, all that the narrow passageway consisted of was a trashcan and an old bike of Clare's, but no ladder. Her heart began beating faster. She quietly made her way to the back of the house and peered through the kitchen window. She could see her mother sitting in the living room, a glass of alcohol in her hand- taking swift sips from it.

Clare watched her mother for another minute or two until taking a deep breath and slowly opening the back door.

When it clicked, she completely froze and waited to listen if her mother had heard. When nothing was heard, Clare quickly slipped into the house, closing the door slowly behind her.

Helen continued to sit on the couch, looking forward, so all Clare saw was the back of her head. She tip-toed around the kitchen and into the living room, where her back was against the wall and her breath held.

"Clare." Her insides froze and she squinted her eyes shut while biting down on her lower lip.

"Y-Yes?" Clare stuttered.

"Where have you been?" Helen asked. She looked like a statue to Clare- completely frozen on the couch without making a single movement; it didn't even look like she was breathing. Helen didn't even give a glance to her daughter but instead grew with much anger.

'_So she did notice.' _Clare thought.

"I said, where the hell have you been!" Her tone a bit higher than five seconds ago. This frightened Clare.

"Just outside…i-in the backyard." Helen chuckled darkly at Clare. She began to shack, not so sure what her mother was going to do. It only took a second for Helen to get up from the couch and back Clare further up on the wall.

"Don't you dare_ lie _to me! You've been gone all morning!" Clare's lip quivered as her mother continued to scream at her.

"If I ever catch you outside of the house there will be consequences." Helen slurred. She walked off into the kitchen, mumbling "Pathetic girl."

Clare soon had tears streaming down her cheeks. Her hands clinched into fists; she was feeling anger and sadness all at once. Angry for letting her mother treat her this way and sadness for knowing it was her fault her family fell apart, at least that's what she assumed.

She ran up to her room, falling onto her bed and letting the tears soak into her pillow. She reassured herself she wouldn't be with her mother for long because school started in a week. Today marking September 1st.

More fear ran through her. She had no money for school supplies, so she settled on going around the neighborhood and helping some people out for money. Her mother most certainly wouldn't have the money for it, and even if she did, she would spend it on more alcohol and cigarettes. From the past year, she spent most of her time as a loner, and it upset her a bit that she most likely wouldn't have any friends this year either.

_Eli. I'll have Eli. He'll be my friend…_

Clare didn't exactly believe what she thought but they seemed to be getting along well. She buried her head in her pillows, still being able to smell Eli's scent, even if it was the first time he got a swift of it. She brought a pillow close to her, hugging it.

Her throat was tight from crying and her eyes grew heavy. Not having such a great sleep last night and crying resulted in Clare falling asleep, dreaming of a green-eyed boy who could potentially save her life from misery.

**Yeah…Not so great, I know. But I promi-…I'll try to make the next one better! :D And I know I haven't updated the two other stories, but I'm working on it. And if I'm correct, Schools in Toronto, Canada start September 6. If not then please correct me if you wish. I don't leave in Canada, I wish, so, some facts may be wrong, that is if the internet doesn't lie to me. **

**:) Reviews, anyone? **


	5. Chapter 5

**Let's just get one thing straight. They're both in 8****th**** grade. And this is a middle school degrassi style school. So, Yeah. ^.^ Just to get that out there. Also, I noticed an idiotic mistake I made in Chapter 3. Pretend Clare never got the house key, that she just forgot. Thanks. And I apologize for the lack of updates on the two stories I've got, I'm working on it! I swear! I'm trying to finish up the chapters before I leave for the **_**whole**_** month of July. Like literally the whole month of July, so I won't be coming back until like…August 6****th****. Which happens to be the first day of school for me. WHICH MEANS I GET TO MISS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. Super excited for that, no idea why, maybe because it's the first time I'll ever be missing the first day of school. *Jumps up and down, throwing glitter around, and twirling around* Hehe, I'm excited. If I get at least 5 or more reviews, then I'll update the night before I leave. xxPromise :)**

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**New Beginnings- Chapter 5**

Clare's curls danced around as the light breeze swift passed her. She bit her bottom lip and her grip around her book bag strap tightened. It would have helped her nerves if she had a friend by her side, to encourage her that everything would be okay, but she didn't- she longed for one. The only reason she was able to push herself out of bed and trudge down the stairs and out the door was because she assumed, somehow, she would bump into Eli on the way to Degrassi, but she didn't, so, she stood alone just in front of the steps- pondering on whether she should ditch school all together or suck it up and get through the day.

More and more students started disappearing into the building, leaving her and just a handful of other students outside, walking around aimlessly or trying to get as much try they could with their friends or mate. It would be easy for her to just dart in the other direction and lock herself back in her room. The camera most likely had already seen her but it wasn't too late to escape.

Clare looked around. All she saw were a couple of grouped friends and about two couples.

Clare sighed in defeat, knowing sooner or later, a teacher was going to come out and check if there are any students skipping class. Her warm hand wrapped around the cold handle of the front door but before she entered, she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye.

Clare quickly whipped her head in the direction of the mysterious figure. There, behind a brick wall, stood a blue eyed boy. He was staring at her-peeking around the wall he looked around. All Clare could make out from the boy was his beanie and blue eyes before his eyes widened-from Clare spotting him- and hid behind the wall.

Clare considered investigating but decided not to. She was already going to be late for class, considering she still had to get her schedule and locker number to put her stuff in.

_Maybe I'll see him later…_

Warm air hit Clare's face as she stepped out of the cold air outside. After getting her schedule and locker number, she got to her first period class 3 minutes late. Since it was the first day, the teacher let it slide but, as aggravating it was, gave her a quick lecture and scolding.

As the teacher, Mr. Armstrong-how he introduced himself-, talked about what the year will consist of, Clare's mind paid no attention to him, but instead on Eli and the blue-eyed boy.

**xxx **

Her feet dangled over the table, her heel hitting the edge of the wooden seat. Clare sat at the benches outside, munching on her sandwich and looking off into the distance. It was completely deserted outside, although, Clare found the silence music to her ears.

She wouldn't mind sitting in the cafeteria, especially since it was cold outside-and the temperature had probably gone down from the morning- but she couldn't, she wouldn't dare. It would be embarrassing to have to sit at a table, all alone, with no one to talk to. Yet, it's not like she never tried to. Being that everything began to crumble last year, she distend herself from people, which then led to her friends giving up on her and completely forgetting about her. Clare didn't try getting them back; she knew it would be no use. So then, she was left without friends by the end of the year. Rumors spread. Glares were given.

In a matter of months, Clare Edwards became the Freak, the daughter of an alcoholic, and the depressed weirdo. No one really wanted to be around someone like that, so they didn't. Clare didn't consider herself depressed. Just…lost. Words were shot at her as she strolled down the halls, and it would send Clare home in tears. A home where her father and sister were gone; a home where her own mother wouldn't give her a second glance or hold her when she cried.

Whenever she tried to sit with someone at lunch- even a random stranger- they would get up, scoff in disgust, and walk away to another table. It broke Clare even more. So instead of spending her time sobbing on the bathroom floor during lunch, she took in the silence and the lonely bench tables outside.

Clare sucked in a sharp breath and shook her head, ridding the thoughts of her past.

The wind continued to pick up, eventually it getting strong enough to blow away her paper bag and ziglog bag, which had contained her lunch, under the other tables.

"Shoot." Clare hopped off the table and dipped her head low enough to look under the tables. When there was no sign of the paper bag under and of the tables, she stood on her toes, looking into the patch of woods that rested on Degrassi territory.

Clare sighed when there was no sign of it. Having to carry around the rest of her lunch would be baggage and leaving it in her locker would get it all dirty-useless to use a future snack and throwing it away would be a waste. She settled on eating all her food quickly before the bell rang.

As she turned on her heel, she collided into someone.

"I-I'm sorry." Not even taking a second to look at the person Clare bumped into, she squeezed her eyes shut and prepared herself for an intense scolding.

Instead of a voice screaming at her, she felt a finger poke her cheek.

Clare's blue eyes opened to meet with the very same blue eyes she came in contact with that very morning. He didn't say anything though- only crooked his head to the side and held out his hand, which contained the paper bag.

Clare took it into her hands, "Thanks."

They stood there, awkwardly glancing at each other and off into a different direction. It wasn't long until Clare finally broke the tension between them. "Do you, um, want to sit?" She gestured towards the table she was previously sitting at before the bag flew away. The blue-eyed boy didn't say anything, just shrugged and took a seat across from Clare.

"So…What's your name?" It took a couple seconds for Clare to finally realize the boy in front of her wasn't going to speak any time soon. She nodded her head, puffed out her cheeks, and let out a breath.

"Well, I'm Clare." She gave him a genuine smile, showing him that she would not bite. For the rest of the lunch period, it was just silence. The two didn't seem to be bothered by that. Clare would say a little about herself and would try switching some words around to see if the boy would speak to her. But, alas, he didn't. He only gave simple nods, shrugs, a crooked head.

Clare caught him glancing at her sandwich. Her lips tugged upward.

"Want my sandwich? I don't really want the rest. I'm just going to eat my apple." Clare said, while taking a bite into her red apple and pushing her sandwich towards him. The boy hesitated, but eventually gripped onto the sandwich -like it was the last piece of food in the word. He started out with little nibbles, then bigger bites. Clare couldn't help but giggle at the sight in front of her. It amusing her and the boy couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, barely loud enough to hear, but by the way his lips were slightly tugged upward and open, you could tell he was chuckling.

Their friendly silence was interrupted by a piercing bell, a bell indicting lunch was over and it was time to get back to class.

The blue-eyed boy continued to stare at Clare as she made her way up the stairs and to the doors. Clare looked back at him, feeling a bit crept out, and gave him a wave, along with a small smile. He waved back.

Before heading back into the building, Clare said, "If you ever need to find me during lunch, I'll be here." She said before walking into the building and disappearing around a corner.

**xxx**

Clare plopped down on her bed, exhaustion taking over her. Her head was pounding painfully and her eyelids felt incredibly heavy. She rubbed her eyes, in attempt to stay awake. All day, Clare's eyes were set on finding one person, and only one person. Yet, there was no sign of Eli. Even if she was alone most of the day, she assumed that the blue-eyed boy would keep her company. Even if he didn't talk-which didn't bother Clare-it was still much better than being all alone. She assumed he was alone too, or new to the school, because he had chosen to sit with her when no one else would ever dare doing. After Clare had left the boy, she promised herself not to get her hopes up again, for this boy could easily be convinced into leaving her and joining the group of 'Don't talk or get near Clare Edwards'.

She glanced at her flat book bag on the floor. All she had been able to afford was a pack of pencils, pens, a notebook, and a binder. From helping out people in her neighborhood and finding some money around the house, it was all she could afford, and she had much more she had to get for the year ahead of her.

Clare sighed, rubbing her temples in an effort to minimize the headache. The house was screaming silence, and Clare liked it that way most of the times. She moved onto her side, finally letting her eyelids fall and bring her into, yet, another deep slumber.

**xxx**

Birds chirped in the trees; leaves rustled in different directions when a soft breeze swooped past them. Behind trees and houses, the sun let out a glorious mixture of yellow and pink into the sky. Although, in the mist of the beautiful scenery, there laid a green-eyed boy crying slightly.

Eli was on his back against the grass, looking up at the multi-colored sky and letting out silent tears. His right fingers traced the outline of wording on a tombstone, while the left hand was gently laid on his stomach.

"H-Hey, mom…" He closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath. "I hope you're doing okay. Wherever you are."

He played with the fabric of his black shirt. "Today was the fir-first day of school…I didn't go. I h-hope you're not disappointed in me, I know you would have wanted me to go but…but I couldn't."

"I was too scared. B-But I'll try to go tomorrow, for you." Eli felt a slight breeze run past his body, goosebumps ran up his arms. A sad smile tugged on his lips. He believed that was his mother's way of trying to comfort him and tell him she was there for him.

The colors in the sky became fainter by the minute and eventually, darkness coated the sky.

"Bullfrog doesn't let me out much." He chuckled darkly. "Actually, he doesn't let me out at all. He…locks me up in my room, mom. With l-locks. A bunch of them." Eli gripped onto his shirt tighter. "Nothing has been the same since you…since you left." A trail of tears trickled down his cheeks.

"Bullfrog turned to alcohol a-and started be-beating." There was another soft breeze.

"One night, I ran away. It was rainy…and cold. I wanted to be with you, mom. I-I should have gone with you…wh-when it happened. You even asked me…b-but I was too busy working on my story."

"I-I told myself I was going to die in the alley. And I really thought I was going to. I was so…numb and everything went dark. But then, the next thing I know, I wake up in a room."

Flashbacks enter his mind of the day, before his father came. "S-She found me, and saved me." He took a moment to have his mind wonder back to the Blue-eyed girl with the curly auburn hair. It seemed like she was always cautious when it came to talking about herself or just her family. It sparked something in Eli that he hasn't felt in a long time. He wanted to _know_ her. He began to wonder if she was doing okay, if her first day of school went well.

"A…A part of me w-wanted to die. But…the-there was this tiny part in me, that wanted to keep living."

Eli let out a shaky breath; his eyes adjusted on a couple of stars that decided to come out of hiding and show their beauty. Eli tugged on his jacket, trying to keep warm from the cold night. There was another soft breeze; it brushed along Eli. His fingers continue to trace CeCe's engraved name.

Eli closed his eyes, scooted closer to the tombstone-if it was possible.

"I…I miss you so much, mom. So much…" He let out a sob- letting warm, salty tears run down his cheeks-soaking into the soil. He took one last glance at his mother's tombstone before falling asleep.

xxx

In the mist of the darkness, there stood a boy, watching from afar. Despite the cold, he stood just beyond some trees, giving him full view of Eli in the graveyard. He watched every move he made, from leaning against the tombstone to falling asleep next to it.

He walked up to Eli, squatting down and starred at him for a matter of minutes. He considered waking him up, consider the guy who ran the place would find him in the morning or later on in the night and run him off and tell him to come back when he opened it up to the public but he stopped himself. Instead, he placed some flowers against the tombstone and walked off into the darkness.

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**I bet you can already guess who the "not talking" guy is who was with Clare. O: But who was watching Eli? **

**Sorry for any mistakes, I don't have time to read over it so, my apology. :) Again, 5 or more reviews and update Thursday Night. But if not, then yall are just going to have to wait until I get back in texas in August. ^.^ Bwahaha. **


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